I thought we were friends - shy cat regressing

[susan denning]

Hi,

I'm a little concerned about my 7 year old cat Felix. As those of you who have followed my earlier posts know, he is a shy cat with a history of a blockage (On Royal Canin SO, no repeat). I thought he was doing fine, jumping up on both my dad's and my lap voluntarily and generally making a pest of himself when he wants attention.

Over the past couple weeks, he has definitely regressed - reluctant to come inside and when he does almost anything (a cell phone pinging, someone putting the foot rest on their recliner down) and he's off. Today, he chirped when he saw me and followed me into the house. Something scared him though, and he refused to come into the living room and ran right back out.

Some things that have changed in his life We had family visiting around New Year's. My sister is allergic, so we shampooed our carpets and kept Felix in the garage/outside. After my sister left, we installed a baby gate to keep him from going upstairs (so that we only have to shampoo part of the house next time).

He had an incident with my Dad where my Dad was evidently petting him too much and he let him know he didn't like it (I didn't see the incident, but there were no bite marks or scratches that I could see). My Dad does have some residual effects from a stroke (the side of his mouth droops), and he looks a little stooped and shuffles when he walks, but he's been that way for a long time. He's also very sweet with cats (my other cat, who we had to euthanize, loved him). My Dad is hard of hearing and tends to turn the volume on the TV up to where it is loud for me (I wear hearing aides), but again that's not new.

My parents had the washer repairman in yesterday.

I accidentally got scented litter instead of unscented last time I placed an order.

He needs his claws trimmed, and I sometimes flinch when he tries kneading me - So need to get an appointment with the groomer to get his nails trimmed.

All of this stuff sounds trifling, but maybe something or a combination of something is bothering him.

My questions are - Do I need to rule out a medical issue if this continues (as far as I'm aware there is none)? And what can I do to help him settle? Thanks

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. It very well could be a cumulative effect of all the recent events. What we humans consider 'trifling' isn't always viewed that way by some cats.

If you are still blockading part of the house that he used to be able to have access to - get rid of the blockade, and 'bite the bullet' about cleaning the carpeting the next time your sister visits. You might also ask her about trying something like Benadryl when she visits - it has worked for others who have pet allergies. If he is acting weird about the litter change, you might go ahead and get the one he is used to and toss the scented one.

Maybe there are some helpful tips for you in this TCS article - Cat Acting Strangely? Here’s What It Could Mean – TheCatSite Articles

 

[NekoM]

When your dad was petting him was it normal behavior for Felix to react the way he did? Pick up Felix and have a little prod around all the soft areas of his stomach and see if he reacts in anyway. It’s always worth having a Vet check him over if it’s affordable. I have to agree with the above recommendations about restoring his living environment also.

 

[Alldara]

I would think he needs his home back the way it was.

For allergies, we don't usually shampoo the carpet, just use a good quality vacuum with a HEPA filter. My father in law is quite allergic and that's good for him to visit for a full 24 hours. Could be a consideration.

There are some non-drowsy allergy medicines that actually work better than benedryl. Here's a list of options: Allergy medications: Know your options I use claratin when I visit my in-laws as I'm allergic to their dogs.

A HEPA Air filter was also SUPER helpful. We have one on each floor of the house.

We also put fitted sheets on the furniture. Your preference as to when the sheet is on and then off. It works either way. We used to put the sheet on all the time and remove for guests. But my family often uses the couches for sleeping so we now do the opposite.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
One more thing, --even though he's outside try a calming product or two. As mentioned, the holiday company and the carpet cleaning have caused him to be unsure of his territory.

You're not able to clip his claws, one or two when he's asleep?

 

[NekoM]

Theres some typical Cat behavior here. Because you shampooed the carpets when you had family stay over, he’s not moving back in until you’ve had it shampooed for him!